Katy arrived this morning, just as we were going into a late breakfast. Once she was all settled, we headed out to walk for several hours, back to our old apartment. This time the “zelador” (caretaker) was there and let us in to walk around a bit. From there, through the fancy neighborhood called the Jardins (gardens). The biggest difference I noticed from 30 years ago was that all the jagged glass that used to be on the top of the 20’ walls had been replaced with electronic alarm systems. A slightly better aesthetic. On the way to the lunch place, we got within a few feet of a Lamborghini, the closest I will probably ever get, even though there was bullet-proof glass between us.

We met one of Joe’s old Brazilianist friends for a big and long lunch. After that, an Uber to the Pinacoteca, the state museum of Brazilian art. Though I had only heard of one of the painters, Tarsila do Amaral, I saw a lot of works I liked very much.

We ended the day with dinner at Arabia, one of three or four of the top Lebanese restaurants in Sao Paulo. Absolutely delicious.

It’s good having Katy along, because not only does she choose all the food, she also is our trip planner. So I can just go to sleep and forget about looking at the guidebook.Read more